Blog: Behind PM Modi's Big Roadshows In Bengaluru
Maya Sharma | Friday May 05, 2023Political veteran SM Krishna, as Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004, set up the Bangalore Agenda Task Force - a public-private partnership that included the likes of Infosys Co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
Blog: Even In Victory, Congress Will Have A Huge Karnataka Problem
Maya Sharma | Thursday April 27, 2023They both have that political X Factor, leadership quality, and political ambition.
Blog: The "Nepo Kids" Of Karnataka Election
Maya Sharma | Thursday April 20, 2023When Karnataka politicians say the party is like their family, they could well mean it.
Blog: JD(S) Could Well Play Kingmaker Again
Maya Sharma | Saturday April 15, 2023When former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) mentions the BJP and the Congress - he often clubs them together and refers to them as "the national parties".
Blog: Don't Read Too Much Into Kichcha Sudeep's Support For "Uncle Bommai"
Maya Sharma | Thursday April 06, 2023Kannada film stars - the ones at the top of their game - seem to be more interested in sticking to their day job. Perhaps they prefer to deal with the uncertainty of the Friday first day first show rather than the rough & tumble of electoral politics
Blog: The Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway - Politics And Emotions
Maya Sharma | Friday March 24, 2023For thousands of travelers, it will just be a new road - no memories attached. As the years go by, fewer people will remember that tree-shaded road. As toll roads take over, time takes its toll.
Blog: BJP's Quota Challenge In Karnataka
Maya Sharma | Friday December 02, 2022Elections are months away in Karnataka and the ruling BJP faces a January deadline to increase quota for the Vokkaliga community in jobs and education.
Opinion: On Rape-Accused Lingayat Seer, The Silence Of Karnataka Parties
Maya Sharma | Friday September 02, 2022Late night, September 1. The police in Chitradurga, Karnataka, moved in to arrest a man charged with the rape of two minor girls. The police had put in place considerable security before the arrest - including barricades and extra personnel.
A Kannadiga's Take On The Ajay Devgn Tweet - Maya Sharma
Maya Sharma | Thursday April 28, 2022The old slogan 'Unity in Diversity' needs to be revived in spirit - for languages too. And for that, there needs to be a respect for all the languages in this incredible country. No language is more equal than any other.
Blog: Saying Goodbye To Appu
Maya Sharma | Saturday October 30, 2021When a beloved star, at the height of his popularity, dies an unexpected and untimely death, the emotions of the fans are right there for the world to see.
Blog: When I Went For A Coronavirus Test
Maya Sharma | Monday April 27, 2020After journalists tested positive in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka government decided to test us too. Calls were made and it was scheduled organisation by organisation.
Blog: What I Learnt While Covering Sushma Swaraj's Campaign
Maya Sharma | Wednesday August 07, 2019Sushma Swaraj did not disappear from Bellary after her defeat. She visited the city for many consecutive years on the occasion of the Varamahalakshmi Puja which she celebrated with the Reddy family.
Blog: "No Ladies": The Perils Of Being A Woman Reporter In Sabarimala
Maya Sharma | Thursday October 18, 2018At Nilakkal, we saw a crowd shouting slogans, police standing by. A reporter from a Kerala channel called me aside. "Take off the press stickers from your car," he advised. "And the logo from your mike. And best not to go that side," he added - indicating the crowd.
Blog: Gauri Lankesh, Passionate, Outspoken, Fiercely Committed
Maya Sharma | Wednesday September 06, 2017Dark, bright eyes. Such a contrast to that shock of short, white hair. A lean frameburning with an intense energy. Gauri Lankesh was vital, she was alive. Last night, she was shot dead at her house in Bengaluru.
Blog: Inside The Reddy Wedding In Bengaluru, Here's What I Saw
Maya Sharma | Thursday November 17, 2016The vital stats are now front-page news: 50,000 guests, 3,000 security guards and bouncers, a venue that covered 30 acres and included multiple Bollywood-type sets.